Customers select schools to receive 17% of sales at participating ‘Shop 4 Schools’ merchants
LANSING, Mich. — Shoppers at Lansing’s Old Town will be able to designate 17 percent of their purchases Saturday, Nov. 17, to benefit area K-12 schools during Old Town’s second annual “Shop 4 Schools” event.
Photo: Old Town merchants participating in 2018 “Shop 4 Schools” will ask customers to designate a local school to receive 17 percent of their purchases on Nov. 17, the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
Some of the school foundations and parent-teacher organizations participating in the 2018 event represent Chippewa Middle School, Okemos; schools within the Lansing School District; and Lansing’s St. Gerard School and Church of the Resurrection School.
LAFCU, a Lansing-based statewide credit union, supports the fundraising event by collecting and distributing the donated funds and is also helping promote the event to boost its success.
“We are all independently owned businesses and have a vested interest in the success of our community,” said Lynn Ross, owner of Mother & Earth Baby Boutique. “The ‘Shop 4 Schools’ event doubles down on our investment in local schools. Because all of our proceeds stay local, all of our sales increase the local tax base and help fund schools.
“The 17 percent of sales on Nov. 17 – the Saturday before Thanksgiving – will be donated directly to school foundations and parent-teacher organizations. This money will help pay for extras that schools typically do not fund, such as supplies, camp fees and scholarships.”
Old Town merchants participating in 2018 “Shop 4 Schools” are Absolute Gallery, Capital City Scuba, Cravings Gourmet Popcorn, Curvaceous Lingerie, Grace Boutique of Old Town, Katalyst Gallery & Gift Boutique, Mother & Earth Baby Boutique, October Moon, Old Town General Store, Polka Dots Boutique, Preuss Pets, Retail Therapy, Sir Pizza Grand Café, Sweet Custom Jewelry and Where the Wild Things Bloom.
Event coordinators hope to reach the goal of raising $4,000 this year, in part due to the positive feedback from the 2017 event and increasing awareness of the event. More than $1,300 was raised last year for schools in Lansing, Okemos and Grand Ledge.
Recently Lynn Ross, Owner, Mother & Earth Baby Boutique came by the MBN studio to talk about the program that she spearheads. LAFCU supports Shop for Schools, in which Old Town merchants donate a portion of their sales on November 17 to local schools.
To hear Lynn review Shop 4 Schools with Chris, please click play below.
